Nike took the first step toward sponsoring USA Gymnastics in January even as the organization was being dropped by some of corporate America’s top brands amid the biggest sexual abuse scandal in American sports history, according to documents obtained by the Orange County Register.

The ongoing talks between USA Gymnastics and Nike have taken place while the national governing body and the Oregon-based athletic shoe giant are engulfed in sexual misconduct scandals.

USA Gymnastics is under investigation by Congress and the U.S. Olympic Committee and the target of lawsuits by hundreds of former gymnasts who charge that former U.S. Olympic and USA Gymnastics national team physician Larry Nassar’s alleged sexual abuse of them was ignored by the organization and was the byproduct of a culture of abuse within the sport allowed by USA Gymnastics and former U.S. national team directors Martha and Bela Karolyi.

Five senior level managers were ousted at Nike this week amid published reports of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination against employees at the company. At least nine and possibly as many as 14 top Nike officials have resigned because of the scandal, according to The Oregonian.

In a recent USA Gymnastics memo outlining discussions between the organization and Nike the first headline listed under a section of links to news stories titled “RECENT NIKE NEWS” was “SECOND TOP NIKE EXECUTIVE DEPARTS AMID COMPLAINTS OF WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR.”

USA Gymnastics and Nike did not respond to requests for comment.

USA Gymnastics reported revenues of $34.47 million for the 2016 fiscal year, according to financial records and documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. In recent years, marketing revenues have accounted for more than 35 percent (up to $9.4 million) of USA Gymnastics’ total revenues.

Procter & Gamble, the name sponsor of the USA Gymnastics national championships for the past five seasons, and Kellogg’s, sponsor of a series of lucrative nationwide tours, however, declined to renew sponsorship deals with USA Gymnastics late last year.

AT&T, Hershey’s and Under Armour also dropped USA Gymnastics. AT&T said it was discontinuing its sponsorship “until it (USA Gymnastics) is re-built and we know that the athletes are in a safe environment.”

Under Armour said in a statement “We stand with these athletes and hope our decision to end this partnership resounds with USAG leadership and helps to facilitate necessary change.”

Nike officials had their first telephone conversation with USA Gymnastics chief executive officer Kerry Perry and Adrienne Evans from USA Gymnastics’ marketing department on Jan. 18. The call came a day after Gina Nichols, mother of former U.S. national team member Maggie Nichols, confronted Perry during her testimony at Nassar’s Michigan sentencing hearing.

“I don’t want to hear any more statements from anybody else – we’re doing this and we’re doing that,” Gina Nichols said turning toward Perry, who was sitting in the courtroom. “We have a safe place now. It’s too late now.”

Nike also sponsors U.S. national governing bodies in at least eight Olympic sports, including USA Track & Field, U.S. Soccer and USA Basketball.

Nike is also a major corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Nike also reached a 10-year, $35 million sponsorship deal with Michigan State in 2015. Nassar was a longtime employee at Michigan State sports medicine staff.

Scott M. Reid is a sports enterprise/investigative reporter for the Orange County Register. He also covers Olympic and international sports as well as the Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. His work for the Register has led to investigations by the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Department of Education, the California Legislature, and the national governing bodies for gymnastics and swimming. Reid's 2011 reporting on wide spread sexual abuse within USA Gymnastics and the governing body's failure to effectively address it led to Don Peters, coach of the 1984 record-setting Olympic team, being banned from the sport for life. His reporting also prompted USA Gymnastics to adopt new guidelines and policies dealing with sexual abuse. Reid's 2012 and 2013 reporting on sexual abuse within USA Swimming led to the banishment of two top level coaches. Reid has won 11 Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting since 1999. He has also been honored by APSE for game writing, and enterprise, news, and beat reporting. He was an Investigative Reporters and Editors award finalist in 2002 and 2003. Prior to joining the Register in 1996, Reid worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Times Herald. He has a B.A. in the History of the Americas from the University of Washington.